Tampa Suffers First Loss of the Season

Box score

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The top-ranked University of Tampa baseball (8-1) lost its first game of the season, falling 2-1 to Sunshine State Conference foe Florida Tech (7-3-1) in a non-conference matchup.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Florida Tech got a one out double from Brendan Twomey that dropped just inside the right field line. Kevin Villa then stepped up to the plate with two outs, and delivered an RBI single to left field that allowed Twomey to come across to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

The Spartans responded in the eighth inning following a two out error with an RBI single to right center by pinch hitter Leo Alvarez, allowing pinch runner Brenton Cianci to come around and score the tying run.

Florida Tech came to bat in the bottom of the inning with the score tied 1-1, and got a leadoff single from Nick Brennan, putting the go-ahead run on first to open the inning. After Twomey moved Brennan to second with a sacrifice bunt, Mitch Saum singled to shortstop to move Brennan to third. Brennan then scored on the play after a throwing error to give the Panthers the decisive 2-1 lead heading into the ninth.

The Spartan offense was held to just three hits on the day, with Leo Alvarez driving in Tampa's lone run with a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth.

Scott Chapman came into the game in relief of Joshua Bowman in the sixth inning, allowing both of FIT's runs on five hits while striking out two. Bowman threw five solid innings in his second career start, allowing no runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out four.

Tampa returns to the field this weekend as they travel to Valdosta, Ga. to play a three-game set against Valdosta State. A double-header is scheduled for Saturday beginning at 1 pm, with a single game scheduled for 1:30 pm on Sunday.